Local guide

Things to Do in Bremerton

The best things to do in Bremerton fit in one waterfront day: a free Navy museum, a destroyer you can board, a boardwalk along Sinclair Inlet, a fountain park, a free history museum, an Art Deco theatre, a state park with old-growth trees, and a ferry to Seattle. Bremerton is about 25 minutes from Olalla Bay by car.

A Navy town with a walkable waterfront, and a lot of it is free.

Written by Assaf, the Olalla Bay editor. Updated October 2026.

The gangway onto USS Turner Joy, moored on the Bremerton waterfront under a blue sky
The gangway onto USS Turner Joy, the museum destroyer on the Bremerton waterfront. Photo: Vacknick / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Bremerton is the working Navy town on Sinclair Inlet, and its downtown waterfront packs more into a few blocks than most towns manage in a whole district. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is next door, the ferry to Seattle leaves from the middle of it, and the boardwalk connects a free Navy museum, a museum destroyer, a fountain park, and a history museum in one easy walk. From Olalla Bay it is about 25 minutes, and the whole downtown list below fits in one visit.

This guide covers the places worth the drive. For dining, including the new Telloz Bagels, see the New in Kitsap guide.

Practical tips before you go

Downtown Bremerton is walkable. Park once near the waterfront and walk the boardwalk. The Kitsap Conference Center garage is a few hundred feet from the Navy Museum. Allow time on event days and summer weekends.

Two museums are free: the Puget Sound Navy Museum and the Kitsap History Museum. The USS Turner Joy charges admission. The parks and boardwalk are free.

The USS Turner Joy involves steep ladders and raised hatchways below decks. It is partly accessible on the main deck. If mobility is a concern, the Navy Museum next door is fully accessible.

Ferry schedules change. Check Washington State Ferries and Kitsap Transit before you go if you plan to ride to Seattle. Hours at museums and parks change by season, so check the official site before you drive over.

Museums and History

Puget Sound Navy Museum

The free museum that anchors the waterfront. The Puget Sound Navy Museum covers more than a hundred years of Navy presence in Puget Sound, with permanent exhibits on carrier life, the shipyard, and Navy uniforms, plus rotating shows. There is a Family Discovery Room for kids, with a yellow submarine to explore. The museum is an official U.S. Navy museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Plan one to one and a half hours. It sits in Harborside Park, between the ferry terminal and the shipyard.

Practical details: Puget Sound Navy Museum

USS Turner Joy Museum Ship

A destroyer you can board. The USS Turner Joy (DD-951) is a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer commissioned in 1959, the only retired U.S. Navy ship in Washington open to the public for tours year round. She served her whole career in the Pacific, saw action in Vietnam, and was one of the ships in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The self-guided tour covers decks, engine rooms, and living quarters. You can lift a 70-pound gun shell from the 5-inch main guns. Plan 90 minutes to two hours. Note the ladders: below decks is steep, and the ship is only partly accessible on the main deck.

Practical details: USS Turner Joy

Kitsap History Museum

The county story, in a 1950s Art Deco bank building. The Kitsap History Museum is free, and it covers Kitsap County from geological beginnings through World War II and beyond. Highlights include a walk-through recreation of a 1919 Main Street, hands-on exhibits where you can use a typewriter, dial an old phone, and open mailboxes to read letters, and a puppet museum on the second floor. The exhibits are wheelchair accessible, with an elevator to the second floor. It is also open late on the First Friday of each month for the Bremerton First Friday Art Walk.

Practical details: Kitsap History Museum

Waterfront

Bremerton Boardwalk

The walk that ties it together. The Bremerton Boardwalk runs along the waterfront past the ferry terminal, the Navy Museum, and the USS Turner Joy. It is a flat, easy promenade with views of Sinclair Inlet, the shipyard, and the ferries coming and going. Seals sometimes show up near the marina. The boardwalk hosts events through the year, including the Bridge Blast fireworks over the Manette Bridge in late June and night markets with live music. It is open 24 hours and free.

Practical details: Bremerton Boardwalk

Harborside Fountain Park

Five fountains that burst on a timer. Harborside Fountain Park is a 2.2-acre waterfront plaza next to the Navy Museum, with five copper-ringed fountains that erupt in timed geysers into shallow splash pools. Kids love it in summer. The plaza has benches, picnic tables, and views of Sinclair Inlet and the shipyard. It is open 24 hours, free, and wheelchair accessible. There are no restrooms in the park itself, and the wet floor can be slippery, so bring water shoes for kids.

Practical details: Harborside Fountain Park

Bremerton Ferry to Seattle

The ride is part of the visit. Washington State Ferries runs car ferries from Bremerton to Seattle in about 60 minutes, crossing Puget Sound with views of the Olympics, Rainier, and the Seattle skyline. Kitsap Transit runs a passenger-only fast ferry in about 30 minutes. Walk-on passengers pay on the Seattle side only for the car ferry; check fares before you go. The ferry terminal is in the middle of downtown Bremerton, a short walk from the boardwalk, museums, and restaurants. If you drive to Bremerton and ride the ferry as a walk-on, you can do a Seattle day trip without moving the car.

Practical details: Bremerton Ferry

Parks and Outdoor

Evergreen Rotary Park

The big family park on the water. Evergreen Rotary Park is a waterfront park with a fully accessible playground, picnic areas, trails, a boat launch, and a 9/11 memorial. The playground was the first fully accessible playground in the area, with an OmniSpin Spinner, Oodle Swing, and anti-static turf. The park hosts the farmers market and the Bridge Blast festival. It is free, pet friendly, and has ample parking. The park is about a mile north of downtown along Pacific Ave, an easy walk or a short drive.

Practical details: Evergreen Rotary Park

Illahee State Park

Old-growth trees and a saltwater beach. Illahee State Park is a 75-acre state park on Port Orchard Bay, just north of East Bremerton. The name comes from Chinuk Wawa, meaning earth or country. The park protects one of the last stands of old-growth timber in Kitsap County, including Pacific yew trees about 400 years old. There is a 356-foot moorage dock, a pier, a boat launch, picnic shelters, and 23 campsites. Activities include camping, fishing, shellfishing, boating, hiking, and beachcombing. A Discover Pass is required for parking. The trails are short, about half a mile total, and easy.

Practical details: Illahee State Park

Manette Bridge

A landmark with a story. The Manette Bridge spans the Port Washington Narrows, connecting downtown Bremerton to the Manette neighborhood. The original bridge was built by locals who went door to door selling stock, raising about $200,000. Construction began in October 1929, and the bridge opened on June 21, 1930, with Jane Garrison, the 106-year-old granddaughter of Chief Seattle, in attendance. It was a toll bridge at 25 cents per car and 5 cents per pedestrian, with tolls lifted in 1939, reinstated in 1958, and lifted again in 1972. The original bridge was replaced by a new bridge completed in 2012. Walk it for views of the Narrows and the Olympics.

Practical details: Manette Bridge

Arts and Culture

Admiral Theatre

A 1942 movie palace, still showing live acts. The Admiral Theatre is a 1942 Art Deco movie palace and Kitsap's premier live entertainment venue, seating 802. It hosts concerts, Broadway shows, stand-up comedy, films, and family shows, including a $5 Movie Night and holiday productions like The Nutcracker. The room has cabaret-style dinner-and-show seating on the main floor, and the undersea decor, with mermaids, fish, and kelp on the walls, is part of the show. The Admiral Theatre Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, operates the venue and preserves the landmark. Check the calendar before you visit, and book ahead for popular shows.

Practical details: Admiral Theatre

Dining

Telloz Bagels

The new bagel shop worth the drive. Telloz Bagels is inside Evergreen Squared, a new food hall in Bremerton. They make six varieties, with plain and everything always available, and they have sold out on past weekends, so go early. It is a weekend-only spot, open Saturday and Sunday mornings. For the full story on Telloz and the other new Kitsap opening, see the New in Kitsap guide.

Practical details: Telloz Bagels

Questions people ask

How far is Bremerton from Olalla Bay?
About 25 minutes by car, depending on traffic. Downtown Bremerton, the boardwalk, and the museums are all in one walkable waterfront area, so one drive covers the main sights.
What is free to do in Bremerton?
The Puget Sound Navy Museum is free. The Kitsap History Museum is free. The Boardwalk, Harborside Fountain Park, and Evergreen Rotary Park are free. Walking the Manette Bridge is free.
Can you take a ferry from Bremerton to Seattle?
Yes. Washington State Ferries runs car ferries from Bremerton to Seattle in about 60 minutes. Kitsap Transit runs a passenger-only fast ferry in about 30 minutes. Check schedules before you go, as they change.
Is Bremerton good for kids?
Yes. The Navy Museum has a Family Discovery Room. The USS Turner Joy lets kids climb a real destroyer. Harborside Fountain Park has splash fountains. Evergreen Rotary Park has an inclusive playground. The Kitsap History Museum has hands-on exhibits.
Where do I park in downtown Bremerton?
There are street parking, lots, and garages near the waterfront. The Kitsap Conference Center garage is a few hundred feet from the Navy Museum. Allow time on event days and summer weekends.

Come see it yourself

Bremerton is twenty-five minutes away. The hot tub is out back. All that is missing is you.

Book direct

Also listed on Airbnb and Vrbo

Keep exploring

01

New in Kitsap

Telloz Bagels in Bremerton and Bongos Cafe in Poulsbo, two new openings worth the drive.

Read the guide
02

Things to Do in Gig Harbor

The postcard town 15 minutes up the road: waterfront walk, kayaking, the free museum, and winter draws.

Read the guide
03

Kayaking Olalla Bay

Two kayaks, a private beach, and a calm bay full of seals, otters, and eagles.

Read the guide